News

In the wake of the largest disaster in Texas history, restaurants across America have stepped up to support communities affected by the catastrophic inland flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Harvey has displaced tens of thousands of people and caused billions of dollars in damages, with much of the damage sustained by those without insurance. As the area recovers, even small restaurant businesses without structural damage are facing economic hardship, as are their employees.

We are asking for your continued support.

Thousands of you have asked us how you can help.

Restaurants Respond is a joint project of the Texas Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association. It’s not an organization. It’s simply a group of associations, restaurants, foodservice companies and their employees and guests from across the country that are coming together in the wake of Harvey to help those affected by catastrophic events, especially restaurant employees.

We recommend supporting several charities that are particularly interested in restoring the lives of the restaurant employees affected by Harvey: Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE), the Houston Food Bank, and the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. Depending on the charity, funds will go to people who need nutritious food; restaurant employees with children or dependents who need gas cards, clothing, medical expenses, mortgage or rent; and even stipends for Harvey victims who need replacement vehicles. Find out more about these groups.

Here’s how you can help:

1. If you are in the restaurant industry, ask your fellow owners and operators, employees and guests to join us. Refer them to RestaurantsRespond.com.

3. Let us know what you are doing. Numerous restaurants and foodservice businesses across the country are donating to Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. Let us know what you’re doing so we can track and aggregate the industry’s impact – not just on the charities above, but on all recovery efforts by our industry.

We’re supporting the hurricane-affected restaurant community in other ways as well. In the nation’s capital, the National Restaurant Association has taken a lead role in urging Congress, the White House, and federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration to support recovery efforts. ​

As Texas begins its recovery, our thoughts and prayers now also include our restaurant brothers and sisters in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean as they brace for Hurricane Irma’s impact. ​